US1269787A - Fuel-feed system for explosive-engines. - Google Patents

Description

E. s. CHURCH.

FUEL FEED SYSTEM FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. I9I6 Patented-June 18, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET IL `WIKI II I I l s I l, MINIMUM! im.

E. S. CHURCH.

FUEL FEED SYSTEM FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. I

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. 1916.

Patented June 18, 1918..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2L A I if JEDMUND S. CHURCH, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC CARBURETOR CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FUEL-FEED SYSTEM FOB. EXPLOSIVE-JENGINES.

LCOAI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented I une I, IATA..

Application filed November 3, 1916'. Serial No. 129,266.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lEDMUND S. CHURCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Feed Systems for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.-

The invention relates to fuel feed devices for explosive engines and more particularly to those used on motor vehicles.

Cne object of the invention is to provide an improved fuel feeding system in which liquid-fuel is fed from a reservoir to a feedtankby fluid pressure in the reservoir and from the feed tank to the carbureter by gravity. f

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fuel feeding system in which Huid under pressure from a working cylinder of the engine is utilized to force liquid fuel from the reservoir to the feed tank.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved fuel feeding system in which the liquid fuel is forced from the reservoir to the feed tank by fluid ,under pressure with an automatic pressure relief which is operative only when the feed tank contains a predetermined volume of fuel.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a fuel feeding system embodying the invention. Fi 2 is a vertical section through the feed tan. lFig. 3 is a vertical section through the carbureter. Fig. 4c is a section through the check valve in the pressure line to the liquid reservoir.

In the system illustrated as an exemplification of the invention, A denotes a fuel reservoir usually supported at the back of the motor vehicle, B an explosive engine, 1) a tank usually supported in an elevated position on the dash-board of the vehicle to which the liquid from the reservoir A is forced, and C a carburetor connected to the intake manifold of the engine. A pipe a conducts liquid fuel, such as gasolene, from the bottom of the reservoir A to the top of the feed tank D. A pipe b conducts' fluid under pressure from one of the work lng cylinders of the engine through a check valve E to the top of the fuel reservoir A.

A pipe d conducts liquid fuel from the feed tank Dto the carbureter by gravity.

The check valve E which is designed to permit flow of a very small quantity of comy pressed fluid in the working cylinder to the reservoir A, comprises a casing e which is screw-threaded into the engine-casing and has an inlet duct 6 1n communlcatlon W1th vt-he combustion-chamber of the engine and ter-pin 10 on a stem 11 of a. plug 12 holds the disk against lateral movement off the seat.` Openings 14 are formed in the guide 9 to permit the fluid from duct 6 to pass into a chamber' 15 in the casing e. Pressure pipe is connected to casing e to conduct fluid under pressure from the chamber 15 to the reservoir A. This device exemplifies means for conducting fluid under pressure from a Working cylinder of the engine to the fuelreservoir to put the body of liquid in the reservoir under pressure and force it to an elevated feed tank. f

A pipe b2 also connected to the chamber 15 in check-valve e and open to the pressure in said chamber 15 is connected to an automatic relief valve 18 formed in a fitting 17 suitably secured in the bottom of the feed tank I). This fitting contains valve 18 which is mounted to slide vertically therein to close the upper end of a duct 19 to which pipe b2 is connected and to control the escape of fluid through exhaust ports 20. This valve 18 is adapted to be opened by fluid in the pipe b2 and the fuel reservoir A in excess of the maximum required to force the liquid fuel from the reservoir A into the feed tank D, usually about two pounds. When the pressure is in excess of this maximum, fluid Will open said valve and escape either directly from the check-Valve E through pipe b2 to the exhaust-ducts 20 or from the liquid reservoir A via pipe Z1', chamber 15 of the check-valve, and pipel b2 to the exhaust ducts 20. The body of the tank D is usually made of suitable sheet metal, such as copper, and the fitting 17 is secured in the bottom of said body by a nut 2l.

The supply of fuel into the feed tank D is controlled by a valve 22 which is slidably mounted in a socket 23 formed in the top 24 of the tank D and the operation of this valve is automatically controlled by a float 25 disposed in the tank. This float is pivoted, as at 26, to the cover 24 so as to lift and close the valve 22 when a column of liquid fuel of predetermined height is contained in the tank D. A stem 27 guided vertically in a tube 28 is operatively connected, as at 29, to the fioat. The upper end of the stem 27 is adapted to engage the lower end of the valve 22, the seat against which the valve operates being disposed above the valve. The lower end of tube 28 is secured in the relief-valve fitting 17 and the top of the tube is closed by a ferrule 30. This fioat exemplifies means for automatically controlling the delivery of liquid fuel into the tank to maintain a substantially constant supply in the tank and sufficient for initially starting the engine.

In practice, it is desirable that the automatic relief valve 18 should not he operative to exhaust the pressure from the line of fuel pressure for lift-ing the liquid t'nel at ils normal maximum pressure until the feed tank has been filled to the predetermined level, so that in event there should be a deficiency' of supply of fuel in the feed tank, the full pressure of the fluid in the pressure line will be utilized to speedily fill the feed tank. ,For this purpose, the stem 27 to which the float- 25 is connected, is extended to bear on the upper end of the relief valve 18 so that when the fioat is lowered, the weight of the float and said stem will be applied to resist the opening of the relief-valve 18. As a result, the relief valve 18 will be inoperative by a measurable excess of pressure in the pressure line until the float 25 has been lifted to release the relief valve 18 for operation by fluid pressure in the pipe b2. As a result, in starting, the excess pressure instead of being discharged through the relief valve will be conducted to the fuel reservoir A to establish an excessive pressure in ysaid tank until the float valve 25 is operated by the liquid in the feed-tank. As soon as this occurs. the relief valve will be released by stem 27 and will be rendered operative by normal excess of pressure in the pressure-V line and if the pressure has exceeded the maximum necessary for operation of the relief valve 18 when it is released, the excess will be free to escape from the reservoir A through pipe 5', chamber 15, in the check valve E and pipe b2 to the exhaust ducts 20.

The carbureter shown is an example of one to which liquid-fuel. such as gasolene, will he supplied from the feed-l ank and comprises a casing 50 containing a chamber l24 can be removed by removing screws 24.

51 for liquid fuel; a fuel inlet valve 52 controlled by a fioat 53 to maintain a colmnn of liquid of a predetermined height in the chamber 51; a nozzle 54 charging into a Venturi tube 55; a primary air inlet 56; and a secondary air inlet 57 controlled by a suitable spring-closed valve 58. The feed pipe d is connected to deliver liquid fuel to the valve 52. The suction created by the working pistons through the usual intake manifold 60 will create suction in the Venturi tube to draw air through the inlets 56 and 57 and liquid fuel from the nozzle 54.

lV hen the liquid, particularly gasolene, is discharged under pressure into the feed tank, a considerable portion of it is vaporized and the invention provides for conducting this vapor to the carbureter. For this purpose, a pipe 41 is connected to the top 2st of the feed tank and to a duct 42 in the carbureter which discharges into the Venturi tube where it will be mixed with the air in the carbureter. This vapor outlet also prevents the accumulation of any pressure in the feed tank and acts as a vent therefor, so that the liquid fuel from the feed tank will flow by gravity to the carbureter. If it should become necessary for access to the interior of the tank, the cover The fioat and stem 27 are removable with the cover. The stem 27 is free for upward withdrawal from the tube 28.

The operation of the invention Will be as follows: lVhen the engine is running, a

small volume of Huid under pressure will be forced by one of the working pistons through the check valve and pipe b into the upper portion of the fuel reservoir A. This pressure will force liquid fuel from the reservoir A through pipe a into the feed tank D, from which it will flow by gravity through the pipe d to the carbureter. This flow of fuel is usually faster than the amount consumed in the carbureter so that the liquid fuel will accumulate in tank D until float 25 closes valve 22 and cuts off the flow of gasolene to the feed-tank. lVhen the feed= tank iS full to the predetermined level, the float will lift the stem 27 and release the 115 automatic relief valve 18 so that any excess of pressure, either in the pressure line or in the fuel reservoir A, can lift the relief valve and escape through the ducts 20. The vapor'formed in the feed tank will be con- 120 ducted by pipe 41 to the carbureter for mixture with air. y

The invention exemplifies an improved pressure supply system for fuel in which fluid under pressure from a working c vlin- 125 der of the engine is conducted to the fuel reservoir to lift the fuel to the feed tank, which results in supplying fluid in accordance with the operation of the engine: one in which an automatic pressure. rclii-l' is prolau neuerer voir into a feed tank and passes from the tank to the carbureter by gravity.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the ap- Apended claims, without departing from the uspirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what lt claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. ln fuel feeding devices for explosive engines, the. combination of a reservoir for liquid fuel, a carbureter, a feed-tank disposed above the carbureter, a connection for conducting `fluid under pressure from a working cylinder of the engine before it has been exhausted from the cylinder, to said reservoir, to put the liquid in the reservoir under pressure, a connection through which liquid under pressure will be forced from the reservoir to said tank, and a connection through which liquid-fuel will dow by gravity from the tank to the carbureter.

Q. ln fuel feeding devices for explosive engines, the combination of a reservoir for liquid fuel, a carbureter, a feed-tank disposed above the carbureter, a connection for conducting fluid underv pressure from a working cylinder of the engine before it has been exhausted from the cylinder, to said reservoir, to put the liquid in the reservoir under pressure, a connection through which liquid under .pressure will be forced from working cylinder of the engine before it has ,titl

to the carburetor.

the reservoir to said tank, an automatic cut- OH in the tank for closing the connection between the reservoir and the tank when the liquid reaches a predetermined level, and a connection through which liquid-fuel will flow by gravity from the tank to the car-A .bureten Aliquid fuel, a carbureter,. a feed-tank disposed above the carbureter, a connection for conducting Huid under pressure from a been exhausted from thefcylinder, to said reservoir, to put the liquid in the reservoir under pressure, a connection through which liquid Aunder pressure will be forced from the reservoir to sald tank, an automatic pressure-relief for the connection between,

the engine and the reservoir, means operated responsively-to fluctuations of liquid in the tank, for controlling the automatic relief, and a connection through which liquid-fuel will dow by gravity 4; lin fuel feeding devices for explosive engines, the combinatlon of a reservoir for "liquid fuel, a carbureter, an elevatedfeed tank` connected to receive fuel from the from the tank fuel from the tank tothe carbureter by gravity. v

5. ln fuel feeding devices for explosive engines, the combination of a reservoir for liquid fuel,a carbureter, an elevated tank connectedto receive Afuel from the reservoir, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the reservoir to force the fuel to the tank, a valve for controlling theI delivery of fuel intol the tank, means for closing the valve when the fuel in the tank reaches a predetermined level, an automatic relief for excess fluid pressure, and means for keeping the relief closed when the valve is open.

6. lln fuel feeding devicesfor explosive engines, the combination of a reservoir for liquid fuel, a carbureter, means for conducting fuel from the reservoir to the carburetor comprising a feed-tank, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the reservoir to force the fuel to the tank, a valve for controlling the'delivery of fuell into the tank, a float inl the tank for closing the valve when the fuel reaches a predetermined level, an automatic:`

tank, a valve for-.controlling the delivery of' fuel into the tank, a float in the tank for closing the valve, an'automatic relief for excess uid under pressure, and a stem between the float and the relief for applying the weight of the float to the relief when the valve is open.

8. ln fuel forming devices for explosive engines, the combination of a reservoir for liquid fuel, a carbureter, a feed tank connected to receive fuel from the reservoir, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the reservoir to force the fuel to the tank, a valve for controlling the delivery of fuel into the tank, a float in the tank for closing the valve, an automatic relief for excess fluid under pressure, a stein-'between the doaty and the relief for applying the weight of the float tothe relief -when the ,valve is open, and a tube in the tank around the stem, the stem being removable from the tube with the float.

,91 fn'fuel feeding devices for explosive engines, the combination of a reservoir for liquld fuel, a carbureter,-a feed tank. contlllll lllld ldd l0 bothof said pipes are constantly connected.

l0. ln fuel feeding devices for-explosive check-Valve.

meme? engines, the combination of a reservoir for liquid fuel, a carburetex, a feed tank connected to receive liquid fuel from the reser- Voir, means for supplying fluid undei pressure into the reservoir to force the fuel to `the tank, means for conducting liquid fuel froxnthe tank to the carbureter, and a connection between the top of the tank :1nd the carbureter foijdelivering vapor formed in the tank to the carbureter.

EDMUND S. CHURCH.

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